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It's a shame that arguably the best conference has no separate thread.

So I made one :lol:

NAME RANK

UNC 3
Duke 4
UM 6
UVA 11
CU 15
GT 20
NCS 31
Univ of Maryland, College Park(MD) 34
FSU 35
BC 40
VT 46
WF 47

it's a bit early, but so far UNC and DUKE are the best contenders for the conference title (but who would've known that GT would win last year's title? :crazy: )

Ellah Nze/Rachel Kahan (DU) vs #5 Featherston/McHale
Nadine Fahoum/Hanna Mar vs De Bruycker/Suarez-Malaguti
#60 Mary Clayton/Monica Gorny vs Durisic/Hemm (UNC)

It's useless to predict Duke's lineup :tape: but those are the
LAST lineup they operated.
Dunno, whoever wins #2 wins the doubles pt maybe?

FAHOUM DEBRUYCKER UNC
NZE DURISIC DUKE
ZSILINSZKA FEATHERSTON ??
PLOTKIN SUAREZ-MALAGUTI ??
KAHAN MCHALE ??
CLAYTON LYONS DUKE

Kahan lost only once, to Boxx 57, 26.
Didn't compete in the fall except the Sep Duke Invite.
She defeated Cercone and
Rachel Kahan (DU) vs. Olivia Janowicz (FLA) 3-6, 6-2, 3-4, unfinished

McHale beat Janowicz, and Mimi Nguyen.

Cecil returns after stint in pros

By Sarah Elsakr
April 1, 2011

The lure of professional athletics can be hard to resist. Performing at the pinnacle of your sport, taking home paychecks, sponsorships and endorsements, being surrounded by media hype and adoring fans: It can all be hard for an aspiring athlete to turn down. It was no different for Mallory Cecil.

Cecil was a member of the 2009 NCAA Tournament champion Blue Devils, and also took home the NCAA individual title. She left Duke after that season to try her hand at professional tennis, and in brief stint on the WTA Tour, she compiled a 55-46 singles record, and her ranking peaked at No. 365. But now, Cecil is back on campus. Enrolled in classes as a sophomore, she also deals with the responsibility of being a volunteer assistant coach for her former team, including some of her old teammates.

Her unique position at the University developed as a result of her passion for the game. Almost two full years ago, Cecil capped off her first, and only, season competing as a Blue Devil. Despite the life and success she had built at Duke, however, Cecil announced shortly after the NCAA Championship that she would end her collegiate career in order to pursue her dream of being a professional tennis player.

For Cecil, the decision to leave her teammates was not one she made lightly. She had discussed future plans for some time with head coach Jamie Ashworth, but when the time came to walk away from college tennis, Cecil found that it was harder than she had expected.

“It was really tough,” Cecil said. “[Telling the other girls on the team] was one of the toughest things, because I didn’t know how they would respond.”

Despite her worries, Cecil received support from her old teammates. She left to begin her career, complete with her own coach, full-time trainer and the opportunity to travel the world competing in the sport she loved. According to Cecil, the time away from the team provided her with a new viewpoint on what was important to her, and gave her an opportunity to grow as a person.

During her time as a professional athlete, however, she also began to feel the solitude that comes with a tennis career, causing her to miss the team dynamic she had become a part of at Duke.

“Winning a college match just exceeds winning a professional match, for me,” Cecil said. “Professionally, it’s a very individual sport, and collegiate you’re playing for other people... so for me it was a lot more fulfilling and gratifying than winning a professional match.”

Eventually, Cecil realized that she wanted to come back to Duke, but after accepting money as a professional she was unable to rejoin the team as a competitive player, per NCAA rules. With the help of Ashworth and the cooperation of her teammates, however, Cecil has come to fill a new role, that of volunteer assistant coach. This position still allows her to train and travel with the team, but when the matches start she is on the sidelines giving advice instead of competing on the court.

“My first reaction [to Cecil’s decision to return] was ‘How can we get her to play?’” Ashworth said. “I talked to her about helping our team and figuring out ways to get involved in the program. From the start she’s been nothing but great about everything…. I think [the other girls] still see her as a teammate.”

This time around, Cecil has decided to devote herself to getting a more well-rounded college experience. She still practices with the team, but has also joined a sorority, and is working toward graduating in three and a half years. Even though she is now unable to be a competitive part of the team, Cecil says that she does not regret the decision to compete on her own.

When she first got back to campus, however, she and Ashworth were unsure about how the new team relationship would work out.

“I was kind of nervous about coming in,” Cecil said. “Now I’m not a player, I’m more of a coaching figure, you know, these girls are my friends. How is that going to work?”

But despite their worries, the girls on the team showed excitement about having Cecil back.

“It’s really too bad that she can’t play,” Ashworth said. “She plays such a big part with our team in everything they do, whether it’s on the court or off the court…. She knows them [the girls] in a way that we don’t know them…and they’ve done a good job respecting her on the court when she’s in a coaching situation. It’s a really fine line that she has to balance.”

Cecil is managing her current situation well, and as for her plans for the future, both she and Ashworth pointed out that professional tennis is still a real consideration. According to Ashworth, both her experience as a professional athlete and as a coaching figure will prove valuable in the long run, as Cecil has had the unique opportunity not only to play against some of the best players in the world, but also to take a step back and study game patterns and strategies.

“She’s a great player who loves tennis, and loves to play,” Ashworth said. “I would love to see her give it another chance down the road.”

For now, though, Cecil is content to stay at Duke.

No. 3 UNC Survives Scare From No. 17 Virginia (4-3)

No. 3 UNC Survives Scare From No. 17 Virginia 4-3

Sunday's Schedule

Wake Forest @ Florida State
Tallahassee, Fla.
12:00 PM
NC State @ Miami
Coral Gables, Fla.
12:00 PM
Maryland @ Clemson
Clemson, S.C.
12:00 PM
Boston College @ Georgia Tech
Atlanta, Ga.
12:00 PM
Virginia @ Duke
Durham, N.C.
12:00 PM
Virginia Tech @ North Carolina
Chapel Hill, N.C.
1:00 PM

Copyed mboyle's detailed analysis here;

Quote:

Duke Blue Devils vs. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

Doubles

1. Ellah Nze and Rachel Kahan vs. Jillian O'Niel and Caroline Lilley

This is a new doubles tandem for Georgia Tech. They beat UNC's number one team, which beat Duke. Could go either way, but maybe a slight edge to Georgia tech.

2. Nadine Fahoum and Hanna Mar vs. Lynn Blau and Elizabeth Kilborn

Nadine and Hanna play very, very well together. Blau and Kilborn don't have the best record. UNC beat them and we beat UNC's team here. I think Duke takes it.

3. Mary Clayton and Monica Gorny vs. Sasha Kuprina and Viet Ha Ngo

Mary and Monica seem to win most of their matches at the three spot. They play very well together and have good chemistry. Duke has won 10 of its past 11 doubles points against some very good doubles teams that I didn't expect us to beat. As with singles, our strength comes at the bottom of the line up. I'm tentatively predicting us to win the doubles point...

Singles

1. Nadine Fahoum vs. Jillian O'Neil

Hard to tell. Nadine played really well today. I think she can beat O'Neil, but O'Neil has played well this year. Still, she hasn't always been at her best against top competition. We will see. Could go either way. I'll predict Fahoum in three sets!

2. Ellah Nze vs. Caroline Lilly

Lilly has the best record on the Tech team. Durisic was too strong yesterday, but I think Lilly will probably win this match.

3. Reka Zsilinskavs Viet Ha Ngo

Reka will win easily.

4. Liz Plotkin vs. Lynn Blau

Liz has been pushed in her last two matches, but has been really strong in the third set. This was a pattern in her first two collegiate years as well (last year was an exception I think.) Lynn Blau has played very well at six, not as well at four, but has won five matches in a row. I think she gets it to three sets, but Plotkin pulls through again.

5. Rachel Kahan vs. Sasha Kuprina

Rachel will win easily. She's won 21 matches in a row whereas Sasha is batting .500 in the ACC

6. Mary Clayton vs. Elizabeth Kilborn

Mary still looked vulnerable to me today. She didn't make errors but she wasn't as dominant off the ground as she was earlier in the season. I think she'll still win in straight sets, but Kilborn has played well in big matches this season. We'll see.

So I'm predicting a 6-1 Duke win. Tech has chances in 1st singles, doubles, 6 and 4 singles (in that order, in my opinion). I'd be more nervous if this were an away match. I'm looking to see how Clayton and Plotkin play tomorrow. We need both of them to play well in order to beat Miami next Friday and clinch ACCs.

Ngo could be dangerous but the analysis is so brief :lol:
Even mboyle unconsciously admits Reka is the best in the team, much like I don't usually care for the #1 singles of USC since Maria Sanchez is so dominant :lol:

Here is some interesting results by Ngo;

beat Caroline Lilley 62, 76(1)
lost to Brynn Boren of TENN 57, 76, 67
beat Gullickson 46, 62, 64
beat Molnar of Iowa 1,0 (Molnar REALLY harassed Aeriel Ellis of UT
at Riviera)
beat Mathew of ND 4,6(4)
beat Kayla Duncan of WF 62, 26, 64
beat Gajic 3,4
This Katarina Gajic of BC defeated Reka 64, 36, 10(11)

By the way, mboyle do you think it's fair for Nze/Fahoum to play NCAA doubles when they didn't play together for so long a time?

They didn't play together since Feb 6 !!
(They played like 19 matches from the Fall. Mar/Fahoum later played like 14 matches in a row until now!!)

REGULAR DOUBLES TEAM IN DUAL SEASON should also play NCAA championship, don't you think? It wouldn't be fair to the lower rank doubles teams who slugged hard ALL dual season. :sad:
One can't have EVERYTHING, even if it's a powerhouse like Duke, don't you think? ;)

Quote:

Originally Posted by fantic (Post 19301624)

It's a shame that arguably the best conference has no separate thread.

So I made one :lol:

NAME RANK

UNC 3
Duke 4
UM 6
UVA 11
CU 15
---------
GT 20
NCS 31
Univ of Maryland, College Park(MD) 34
FSU 35
BC 40
VT 46
WF 47

current Apr 5 ranking;

UNC 3
DUKE 4
UM 5
CU 11
GT 12
-------------
UVA 18
Univ of Maryland, College Park(MD) 26
NCS 30
FSU 31
BC 46
WF 52
VT 56

'Order is restored', I guess, GT within 16 so they can host the NCAA regional.

UNC vs Duke doubles duel :drool:

UNC recruits; Price / Dai, Kay

Duke recruits; Capra, Turewicz

2011 University of Miami Women's Tennis
Duke vs Miami (Apr 15, 2011)
#3 Duke 5, #5 Miami 2
Apr 15, 2011 at Coral Gables, Fla. (Neil Schiff Tennis Center)
Singles competition
1. #6 Bianca Eichkorn (UM) def. #38 Nadine Fahoum (DU) 6-2, 6-3
2. #45 Anna Bartenstein (UM) def. #80 Ella Nze (DU) 7-5, 6-4
3. #18 Reka Zsilinszka (DU) def. #120 Kayla Rizzolo (UM) 6-3, 6-3

This says it all :lol:

4. #58 Elizabeth Plotkin (DU) def. Gabriela Mejia (UM) 4-6, 6-4, 1-0
5. #73 Rachel Kahan (DU) def. Danielle Mills (UM) 6-4, 6-0
6. #79 Mary Clayton (DU) def. Melissa Bolivar (UM) 6-3, 6-0

Doubles competition
1. #6 Bianca Eichkorn/Anna Bartenstein (UM) def. #66 Ella Nze/Rachel Kahan (DU) 8-3
2. #81 Hanna Mar/Nadine Fahoum (DU) def. Gabriela Mejia/Melissa Bolivar (UM) 9-8 (7-4)
3. Mary Clayton/Monica Gorny (DU) def. Danielle Mills/Brittany Dubins (UM) 8-5

Match Notes
Duke 20-2, 9-0 ACC; National ranking #3
Miami 17-4, 9-1 ACC; National ranking #5
Order of finish: Doubles (3,1,2); Singles (6,1,5,2,3,4)

UM coach's comment on Duke;

' I think Duke is a great team. They probably have the deepest team I've ever seen them have'

Duke's ace was ALWAYS Reka.. :angel: :worship:

Mejia led 6-4;4-1 and then didn't win another game. Really good comeback from Liz. Should give her confidence going forward. I still wish they'd put Rachel at 4 and Liz at 5.

Thanks for that article re: Mallory Cecil. Great find. Glad to read a little more about her going back to school and I hope she plays on the pros after graduation.

ACC championship

2011 ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE WOMEN'S TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIP
April 21-24; Cary Tennis Park
Cary, NC.

First round
Thursday April 21
9 a.m. - No. 8 NC State vs. No. 9 Boston College
Noon - No. 5 Florida State vs. No. 12 Wake Forest
Noon - No. 7 Georgia Tech vs. No. 10 Maryland
3 p.m. - No. 6 Clemson vs. No.11 Virginia Tech

Friday April 22
Quarterfinals
9 a.m. - No. 1 Duke vs. NC State-Boston College winner
Noon - No. 4 Virginia vs. Florida State-Wake Forest winner
Noon - No. 2 North Carolina vs. Georgia Tech-Maryland winner
3 p.m. - No. 3 Miami vs. Clemson-Virginia Tech winner

Saturday, April 23
10 a.m. - Semifinal
1 p.m. - Semifinal

Sunday, April 24
11 a.m. - Championship match